The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

Got a tip? Have something you need to tell us? Contact us

Loading Recent Classifieds...

Police charge man with assault on peace officer

After two traffic collisions and a nearly six-hour police search that shut down several blocks of Nordhoff Street June 26, both the CSUN and Los Angeles Police departments arrested Carlos Miguel Martinez Jr. and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.

The CSUN police officer attempted to pull over Martinez, 22, for a traffic violation near the corner of Amigo Avenue and Rayen Street when Martinez allegedly stopped suddenly, pointed a handgun at the officer and drove away at a high rate of speed, according to Christina Villalobos, spokesperson for the CSUN police.

After Martinez fled, the officer in pursuit lost control of his vehicle, went up on a curb and eventually hit a tree, Villalobos said.

“There was minimal damage,” she said. “There were no injuries, but the tires were blown (on the patrol car).”

After a short pursuit, Martinez allegedly fled on foot following a separate traffic collision near Nordhoff Street and Wilber Avenue.

“I was in the office when I heard a (crash),” said Justin Winston, 24, of Woodland Hills, who was working at the nearby Four Seasons Wholesale Nursery at 18840 Nordhoff St.

Winston said he saw a silver car crash into a fence near an alley adjacent to the nursery.

“I came out and saw him running,” he said. “He was wearing baggy blue jeans and a long white shirt. He looked college age.”

“He bounded over the fence like a wild animal,” Winston said. “I knew he had to be running from somebody.”

Villalobos said the LAPD picked up the pursuit from radio traffic and set up a perimeter around the nursery to search the area.

A CSUN patrol car was originally on the scene, but left shortly after. Moments later, four LAPD cars arrived and were followed by a SWAT team.

Police officers closed off Nordhoff Street between Yolanda Avenue and Vanalden Avenue for several hours as they searched for the suspect.

Nearly six hours later, at about 3:30 p.m., Martinez was found hiding in a trash bin behind the nursery after officers closed off streets and used police dogs to find him.

In total, about 40 officers were involved in the search.

“They brought in everyone,” Winston said. “Like he was Al Capone.”

This is the second incident involving either the use of a firearm or the threat of a firearm involving a CSUN police officer in as many months.

In April, a CSUN police officer attempted to pull over a car in a commercial parking lot on Nordhoff Street after suspecting that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The suspect fled and then rammed into the officer’s patrol car twice. The officer reacted by firing multiple shots.

The officer suffered a knee injury, Villalobos said.

More to Discover